Popular Atheist Philosophies?

What are some of the most popular philosophies that Atheists and Agnostics prescribe to?

Although I classify myself as Agnostic, I live in a fashion that most would call Atheistic. Meaning although I can't prove that there is or is not a god, I believe his existence or non-existence does not matter to me in regards to the way I live my life. I believe life should be lived for the sake of BEING ALIVE, not for the sake of preparing for some afterlife that may or may not exist.

I have recently been reading into Existentialism and other philosophies, such as Hedonism. Does anyone here believe Existentialism and Hedonism are compatible with each other? As an Atheist or Agnostic, what Philosophies or 'ways of life' do you practice?

 

my philosophy is "I guess I will find out when I die"

What does that make me? (for real I dont know)

 

I don't know what philosophies atheists would ascribe to. In the academic field I've met a great deal of atheists, and it seems the one common belief they share is the belief in nothing. That's what atheism is, a lack of belief. So atheism has no common moral beliefs ipso facto.

Whatever they DO believe, I suggest they find God while they still can

 

While I'm sure its not universal, I think most atheists believe in observational or testable methodology. That is they believe in things that can only be expeirenced concretely through the senses or tested for.

 

Feles Mala - I wouldn't say Atheists believe in nothing, everyone believes in something. Religious people believe in god, Atheists just tend to believe in more humanistic philosophies. Except for Nihilists, they in fact believe in nothing. There have been several famous philosophers, political figures, and scientists who have spent there lives contributing to humanity who were actually atheists/agnostics. (Einstein, Marx, Freud, Hemingway, etc)

guerillabedlam - I agree that Atheists believe in what can be felt or sensed, I was more concerned with the question of how do they live? What is of most importance to them? How would they classify things like love, beauty, morals.

 

Are love, beauty, and morality not felt and sensed?

 

They are sensed, which is why most atheists believe in them. I am asking how do they define such things? Obviously they will have a different definition of them than say the definition a Christian would give them.

 

I don't understand why? Explain it better...

 

I'd say that is agnostic.

 

What I'm saying is that most Atheists do in fact believe in love and beauty and such because these things can be felt and sensed. What I'm trying to describe is the difference in there definition of these things from the definition a Christian would throw at them. For most religious people, love and beauty would be spiritual or divine. Where as an Atheist would say that they are just abstractions of the human mind.

So my question is: how would they define love exactly? or beauty? to Atheists is love just some form of mutual dependency between two people? is it something that has evolved from our need to reproduce , our need to support the survival of our species? Or is it more than that?

 

It makes you human.

 

ag·nos·tic (g-nstk)
n.
1.
a. One who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
b. One who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.
2. One who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.


That is still a belief. He didn`t say that he believes it is impossible to know this.

 

I guess I fit definition 1b

 

The enlightening potential in the ever growing understanding of the natural universe, and the insistense in opposition to the cults that attempt to simplify life and sell lies too generation after generation of my fellow brothers and sisters by quoting self evident advice from two dollar prayer books and marketing it as the final solution to the worlds problems.

 

The most popular philosophies for atheists are there is no god and for agnostics it is there may or may not be a god.

 

...

 

Are there any without beliefs?

 

I don't believe I can answer that.

 

I don't believe so.(to 17)

 

Even the people that write the National Lampoon films would say that.